Two words: pie fucking. The MPAA also took issue with showing Kevin spooging into the beer, Nadia masturbating a bit more, and Vicki making too many orgasmic sounds during the cunnilingus scene. God forbid a woman enjoy herself during sexual activity, so these scenes and some pie-thrusting were cut to get the R-rating.

American Psycho

In a movie filled with sex, violence, and profanity, the MPAA asked for a lot of trimming. A scene with Patrick Bateman and prostitutes had to be cut down 18 minutes while the language throughout was toned down and other scenes were shortened.

Kill Bill Vol 1 & 2

Quentin Tarantino’s epic tale of revenge famously changed the epic House of Blue Leaves fight into a black and white rumble to avoid the NC-17 curse. Remember, kids. The video below is NC-17. Put it in black and white and we’ve got a R-rating, baby!

Basic Instinct

They got to keep the snatch flash. So what did they cut out to get out of the NC-17 rating? A scene that implied oral sex. The rest of the film was kept intact through the use of different camera angles.

Blue Valentine

Once again, a scene involving oral sex performed on a woman was the catalyst for the dreaded rating. In this case, star Ryan Gosling called out the MPAA for their sexist view of movie love scenes and the continual outcry helped secure the R-rating.

Clerks

The MPAA reasoned that strong language was enough to give Kevin Smith’s debut the NC-17 kiss of death. That was bullshit and Miramax fought the MPAA to have the decision reversed. Sources disagree on whether the language was toned down or if it was allowed to go as originally cut, but I know at least 37 dicks made it in.

Eyes Wide Shut

A movie about—whatever the hell it was about besides sex—isn’t surprising in this list. The way that the NC-17 was avoided is the crazy part. People were digitally placed into orgy scenes to hide the bone zone action from audiences.

Scream

This is the one that surprised me the most, actually.

Monster’s Ball

I thought the sex scene between Billy Bob Thornton and Halle Berry was fairly explicit when I watched it. However, the scene was toned down and trimmed to get the R-rating.

The Cooler

This William H. Macy and Maria Bello flick was threatened with NC-17 for 2 ridiculous reasons: Bello’s character’s pubic hair and that same character’s enjoyment of an orgasm. After cutting 2 seconds of pubes and joy, director Wayne Kramer was rewarded with the R.